Tag Archives: Hahira

How about some real clean energy jobs, and a renewable energy strategy for Georgia?

This is a response from me to Brad Lofton’s letter of 22 September 2010. I also refer to Leigh Touchton’s response of the same date.
From: “John S. Quarterman”
To: blofton@industrialauthority.com, Leigh Touchton
Cc: [VDT, elected officials, and other people]
Subject: Re: Brad Lofton, Executive Director Industrial Authority
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2010 11:23:39 -0400

Brad,

I also appreciate you taking the time to meet with people, but I am disappointed in the information provided by VLCIA.

For example, you say:

You are absolutely correct in stating that we provided you peer reviewed scientific literature proving that biomass plants are indeed carbon neutral
Excuse me? What journal accepts a stack of powerpoint slides for peer review?

Maybe you mean it’s based on some journal article. Citation, please: journal, date, and page.

The only thing I can find in it that was peer-reviewed was a quote from an IPCC 2007 report, which asks for “a sustainable forest management strategy”. That’s what we don’t have; that stack of slides certainly isn’t it.

You mention:

Continue reading →

Solar Hahira

Kara Ramos writes in the VDT that Z.T. Wilkins of Hahira went solar:
…the 3,600-square-foot home uses electricity to run such operations as fans, electric fences, a four-ton air conditioning unit, and a five-horsepower submersible pump.

Prior to having the solar panels, Wilkins’ monthly electric bill was roughly $350 a month during the summer. Since he has had the system installed, he has seen a decrease of about $250 a month.

Wilkins predicts his monthly bill to decrease substantially during the winter.

For the past three months, Wilkins, wife Janet, and daughter Taylorlyn, 2, have been living more of a green energy lifestyle out of their home.

Deciding he wanted to invest in his daughter’s future, Wilkins made the financial investment to have South GA Solar Power LLC install the solar power system.

I’ve met Ron Jackson Sr. of South GA Solar Power LLC, and I’m sure he’d be glad to talk to you, too, about installing solar.

(We used Georgia Solar Power Company out of Marietta when we installed our solar panels back in 2009. There weren’t any local solar companies back then. Now there are.)

-jsq

Solar Parking Lots

One objection I’ve heard to solar power in Georgia is that it would take an area the size of metro Atlanta to power metro Atlanta. Well, why not use metro Atlanta do do that? Put solar panels on housetops and business rooftops. And use parking lots:

Lin Edwards writes in physorg.com about Parking lots could become ‘solar groves’ (w/ Video):

Architect Robert Noble, who specializes in sustainable design has come up with the idea of turning parking lots into “solar groves” that shade the vehicles, generate electricity, and serve as recharging stations for electric vehicles.
Or forget Atlanta. Hahira or Valdosta could do this just as easily.

-jsq

Videos of Hahira Farmers Market, 10 July 2010

Every Saturday morning in June and July, there’s a farmers’ market in Hahira on West Main Street, near the caboose.

Here Andrew Young tells us about it, Saturday morning, July 10th:

This last Saturday,

Here’s a playlist for all the movies. There are more pictures in the flickr set.

-jsq

Hahira Farmers Market, 3 July 2010

It’s bustling in the morning at the Hahira Farmers’ Market:

This time we picked the day before, and got to the market by 8AM. Gretchen moved quite a bit of sweet corn and okra, and some squash, pickles, and jam. Our most unusual items were the pumpkins. Continue reading →

Parks and Rec. Appointment, Lowndes County, Georgia

Previously, the Valdosta City Council appointed City Council member Robert Yost to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority (VLPRA). The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners debated appointing a Commissioner to the VLPRA at their June 8 meeting:

They decided to appoint their chairman, Ashley Paulk, to the VLPRA. Chairman Paulk said he would serve, but as a private citizen. I wonder then what the point was of appointing him, rather than someone else.

When Valdosta appointed Yost, Ashley Paulk provided this statement to the VDT: Continue reading →

Hahira City Council

In the regular meeting, Hahira City Council, June 3, Mr. Benjamin speaks up in Citizens Wishing to be Heard:

As you can see by the pan around the room, the meeting was pretty well attended. The average local government session around here gets maybe a couple of people who aren’t elected or staff. This one had probably half a dozen.

Each Council member, Ralph Clendenin (District 3), Allen Cain (District 2), Terry Benjamin (District 1), and Rose Adams (District 4), made a statment, followed by Jonathan Sumner (City Manager) and Wayne Bullard (Mayor).

Here’s a playlist. Videos by John S. Quarterman and Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE.

Hahira Elected Officials and Staff. Minutes of previous meetings and future schedule.

Hahira Teachers Learn Trees

Jade Bulecza reports for WALB that Teachers take outdoor learning to the classroomTeachers take outdoor learning to the classroom:
About 25 teachers from Lowndes County schools were out at the Pine Grove Farm in Thursday identifying trees and looking at leaves.

It’s part of project learning tree, an environmental education program.

Renee Galloway says students don’t really get out of the classroom in language arts and reading, so she’s glad she’ll have new lessons to bring to her class.

Maybe later they could even take the students out to the trees!

“Hopefully, our teachers can take back the importance of the timber industry to Georgia’s economy to their classrooms,” said Joy Cowart, a Project Learning Tree facilitator.
That’s one good lesson. Others might be the diversity of native forests and the economic and natural benefits of reforestation.